old boater/ new experiences

[Roughrider IV]

Spent the week at point breeze, Tuesday I headed alone as the wife slept in. I shut down the engine to unlock a compartment and when trying to restart, I got nothing. Radio good, gps working, motor will not crank. Showing 12.5 volts at gps and checked both batteries with load unit, measured good. Go to call wife, no phone service. Call the coast guard to assist in contacting boat us for tow, find out they no longer have boat at the oak, seems they can't compete wirth free marine service. Coast guard gets them on the phone, its gonna be 2 to 3 hours from rochester by water, you gotta be kidding me. Rally killer charter stops by for assist, calls the marine sheriff for me, great to know I can get off in an hour. Bigs thanks to Killer, he was working a group at the time. On the way in, boat US shows up, relieves sheriff of tow, and gets me to the dock. He tells me they have

3 boats on the lake, sodus, rochester, clayton. If you call, they will go 25 miles one way for service. I pulled the boat, checked wiring, damn loose connection at negative terminal. I was back fishing that evening. Fast froward to Thursday, we pulled out at 2pm,

Stopped for gas, i got a hot bearing, this bearing also spit out a bearing buddy 2 weeks ago that I replaced. I've been boating since 1976, never lost a bearing. I always check for temp at all stops, add grease if needed. I got to whitney point rest stop, bearing still hot, add a few more pumps of grease, head out for another 2 plus hour drive. I'm watching in the mirror, puff of smoke, she's wobbling now, ****, I pull over, yea she is cooked. Brand new disk brake hub with under 1000 miles on it. Call boat US, they got me a guy with a hub, he arrived in half hour, I already removed everything, installed new hub and handed the guy 60 bucks for hub with a tip. Boat US pays for service call. Drove home with brake assembly bungy strapped and duct taped to axle, broke off brake line though, that's gonna be replaced also.

Lessons learned:

T mobile sucks, get vorizon for lake service.

Use lock washers on battery connections

Marine service around lake will tow cost free, channel 9

Coast guard is very helpfull in all situations, not just life threatening.

If your trailer spits out a bearing buddy, you have a problem developing.

I will not submurge my axles again

Carry a cut off tool to remove race from spindle, the guy brought a portable dewalt grinder, great tool for the job.

BOAT, you gotta love it to put up with it.

Roughrider IV out.

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[lineman49]

Sounds like you had a bad couple of days. Hope things get better & you have better days coming, good luck!

[ray koziatek]

Hate to ask ....ANY Fish?